.
I will
pour out my Spirit on all people
.
A Report on the Events at
the Golden Jubilee of the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal
.
.
by Bernard Stock
The 50th Anniversary of the Catholic
Charismatic Renewal was celebrated in Rome at
the Feast of Pentecost, 4th of June [2017]. The
event attracted tens of thousands of members of
the renewal, and many came early for days of
prayer events, talks and seminars.
The Sword of the Spirit was well represented at
the Jubilee, with members from more than 30
communities and all regions. On the evening of
the 31st of May, some 200 people from
Sword of the Spirit communities from various
parts of the world gathered for an evening of
prayer and fellowship.
The evening began with a delightful time of
mingling with brothers and sisters from all over
the world, greeting old friends and making new
acquaintances. This was followed by an hour of
worship and listening to the Lord. In spite of
the travel weariness of many the prayer time was
lively and fervent. Jean Barbara spoke to us,
encouraging all to engage what we have been
hearing from the Lord most strongly in the past
few years – unity and mission.
A time of restoration and
outpouring of the Spirit
During the prayer
meeting there were several strong words of
prophecy. Here are two of them:
“I’m coming
like a dove but I’m coming like a lion as
well. I’m coming to take my territory back –
everything that was stolen by the enemy.” And
I sensed that there was something eager in the
Lord’s voice. It was like a roar. Territory in
the life of our communities, as well our
personal life – he wants to take back every
piece of land that the enemy has taken over,
and the loss of it has robbed us of our joy
and peace, bringing depression, loss, sadness.
God wants to restore. And this is the
invitation: to cry out to him and not settle
on this piece of land that is remaining but
eagerly cry out to him for help and for
restoration, for him to rule and to be
enthroned. The Lion of Judah is eager and
ready.
For some years I’ve had
a growing sense of encouragement, comfort,
hope and joy when I see what God is doing for
and through young people in our midst. The
Lord is being faithful to his promises and is
also answering our prayers in raising up a
generation of believers who are deeply
committed to proclaiming the kingdom of God.
His spirit is being poured out powerfully on
them.
These verses come to mind: Acts 2:17-18: “In
the last days, God says, I will pour out my
spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters
will prophesy, your young men will see
visions…”
But I think God has an equally strong word for
older and old people:
’…your old men will
dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men
and women, I will pour out my spirit in those
days, and they will prophesy.”
Coming
together of three major networks of
communities
The following day there was an informal meeting
of some leaders of the three major networks of
communities which have grown from the
charismatic renewal: the Catholic Fraternity,
the European Network of Communities (the ENC),
an ecumenical network and the Sword of the
Spirit.
I was privileged to attend this and was
encouraged to hear the brothers from the other
two networks expressing their gratitude for the
input they had received from the Sword of the
Spirit in their beginning years.
Leaders from these three networks had prepared
together and then led a meeting for members of
the communities which have grown from the
charismatic renewal. It took place Thursday
afternoon, June 1st, in the Lateran Basilica,
the pope’s parish church. About 2,000 people
attended.
Prayer
vigil and refocus on
ecumenical roots of the renewal
During
Friday and Saturday mornings, several meetings
and workshops were offered. The highlight of the
events that weekend was an open-air vigil in the
Circus Maximus on Saturday evening, with around
30,000 people attending. It started at 1pm with
praise and worship, exhortations and talks, with
a general celebrative tone. Around 6pm Pope
Francis joined the event and gave a strong and
engaging address, especially emphasizing his
desire for the charismatic renewal to return to
its ecumenical roots.
Participating in the jubilee in Rome was
encouraging and upbuilding – seeing how the work
of the Holy Spirit has grown over fifty years,
and especially for me as a member of a
community, seeing how many blessings have sprung
from the call God has given us to build
charismatic and ecumenical community all over
the world. May we all – including those who
couldn’t be there – experience the grace of a
renewal of our first love and commitment to
follow the Lord.
_____
Bernhard
Stock is a founding leader and a former
senior coordinator of the Bread of Life
community in Munich, Germany. He is
currently the Moderator of the Christ the
King Association, the Catholic Association
of the Sword of the Spirit.
Photos by Maria Paula Arce
Article source: Sword
of the Spirit |
